bullshit job
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈbʊlʃɪt dʒɑb/
- Offensive
:
trabajo de mierda
- You don't have that bullshit job anymore.
The opposite of a bullshit job is a hero job.
- The opposite of a bullshit job is a hero job.
- Well, let me talk about why we have bullshit jobs.
- I have a couple of friends with what I would describe as bullshit jobs.
- But I mean, I don't know, it's just some bullshit job for you for two years in a way.
Examples
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The opposite of a bullshit job is a hero job.
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You want to fool yourself about that bullshit job, fine.
Fiction book (1993) -
Look at us looking for bullshit jobs-- you studying to become a cop.
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Yeah, yeah, that was a pretty lame bullshit job, huh?
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But I mean, I don't know, it's just some bullshit job for you for two years in a way.
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So you must've known that was a bullshit job.
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It was a bullshit job.
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Don't you think there'll be new bullshit jobs created?
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It's a bullshit job.
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Many workers feel frustrated because they are stuck in bullshit jobs that offer no satisfaction.
Synonyms
14
9.9
Work that looks useful but wastes time or money
3
6.3
Tasks that keep you busy but have little real value
1
9.9
A job that pays money but needs little or no work
A low-paid job that is boring and gives no chance to move up
How Meaningful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a pointless or unfulfilling job' is directly derivable by combining 'bullshit' (a derogatory term for something false, worthless, or nonsense) with 'job' — i.e., a job that is nonsense or lacks value. This is a straightforward attributive composition that follows normal English modifier + noun patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The phrase bullshit job comes from the slang bullshit, which people use for something 'nonsense' or 'worthless', and from the image of work that is mostly useless tasks. So calling a job a bullshit job means it feels pointless and has 'no real value'.